I recently relined the clutch on my Fastback, and it is now excessively heavy, it was fine before, but slipped when thrashed. I used the Surflex clutch plates as recommended, and in the correct quantities as per Les Emery. I also, on his advice, replaced the pressure plate. But the clutch is still heavy. This is not a problem with the body in the gearbox. I suspect that the diaphragm spring is "over centre". What is the fix? I bumped into a fellow member at Brackley who suggested filling the basket until it was level with the end of the splines. Is it OK to just keep adding plain plates until you get the required depth?
I find the clutch works be…
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Have a look at oldbritts.c…
Have a look at oldbritts.com under technical articles, clutch. You will find plenty of info on the different types of plate and stack heights. Also ensure you are using a clutch lever with a dimension of 7/8" between center of the pivot and the center of the nipple. You may consider browsing the "Access Norton" website from across the pond. 60% of the 60,000 Commandos made were sold in the States so there is a lot of good gen over there.
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I find the clutch works best when the plate assembly inc. pressure plate and diaphragm spring is flush with the bottom of the circlip groove. I achieved this by using a mix of RGM high-torque plates and bronze Norton plates. Plates still req. degreasing after several thousand miles due to sticking, but work fine in between.
There should be no problem doing similar with your fibre and steel plates, although with a correct pressure plate and number of friction/steel plates the stack should be the correct height already. Give the shop where you got the bits from a call and see how far you get,
Best of luck, Simon.